Monthly Archives: April 2015

Adrienne Truscott is talented, edgy and out there. Her show Asking for it has gained critical acclaim around the world and after seeing it last year at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, I know why! Adrienne is spectacular in her groundbreaking show confronting the comedy industry about it’s laid back attitude to the topic of rape.

It’s incredible how Adrienne is able to poke fun at other comics, make witty jokes whilst discussing an incredibly important issue. This show will make you laugh, think and gasp. Yes…there is nudity… yes it’s full on.. but most of all, it’s clever and truly artistic. It’s a show you shouldn’t miss Sydney and I cannot wait to go and see it again.

Adrienne Truscott, one-half of the infamous Wau Wau Sisters, dressed only from the waist up and ankles down, undoes and does in the rules and rhetoric about rape, comedy and the awkward laughs in between.

With commentary from George Carlin, Louis C. K. and Robert De Niro, ducks, whistles and enough gin and tonics to get a girl in trouble, she lets her pussy do the talking. Set to pop music. Can you make jokes about rape? She plans to, all night long. Even if you tell her to stop.

“Brutal, brilliant and brave…if you miss it you will miss the moment in the history of stand-up comedy wherein a woman actually took the genre and did something with it that no man could do… This is without doubt the most powerful hour of comedy.” **** The Scotsman (UK)

I’m a grown up. I’m an adult. I am responsible and conduct myself in a mature manner as often as possible. UNTIL I hear that there is a children’s comedy show this Saturday with two of my favourite comedians on a PIRATE SHIP. Then I lose my mind like a five year old who has just spotted Dorothy the Dinosaur at a Wiggles concert.

Harley Breen and Heath Franklin have taken their hilarious comedic stylings and childish ways and combined them to make the most awesome comedy show for KIDS!

CAPTAIN FUN PANTS & THE MYSTERY OF THE FUN-O-MATIC FUN WAND

It’s to be held at the Sydney Heritage Fleet, on the actual boat. These two larrikins will bring joy to the children, and probably more so their parents, for an hour of fun filled entertainment. So I don’t look like a total looney, I’ll be taking my friend and her three year old son with me. However, I can guarantee I will have the most fun!

Oh, no! There’s a problem in FuNtOwn! Sammy the Seagull Has fled with the FunOmatic Fun Wand all the way to WrongTown. Enter our heroes: Captain Fun Pants and his best mate Pirate No Beard. It’s up to the Captain and No Beard to retrieve the fun wand before all the fun has been drained from fuNtOwn forever! But they need your help! Calling all super dooper big boys and girls on a magical adventure. But you need to brave! Can you survive the Forest of Farts (pee –yew!) or win a pillow fight to escape Bed Time Island? Join two of Australia’s funniest comedians Harley Breen and Heath Franklin, as they swap late night comedy clubs for late afternoon tents and finally play to an audience their own mental age: children. It’s a FunOrriFic adventure for kids (and pirates) of all ages.

I just know after seeing it all so recently … How hard the recovery is gonna be. The infrastructure and the lack of local government support for the people… It just makes it all so much harder. There are expected to be upward of 5000, approaching the 10,000 mark of deaths due to this disaster. A number to a country like Australia that is unfathomable. But when you have been there, seen the densely populated city and mass of life, you can understand.

I’m happy to know world vision are there now and doing good work. But they need our help! There is hope for those who have survived and for more to be rescued. Donate here to World Vision Australia.

This sweet simple moment with my friends in March this year. Bath time on a rooftop. So many of these homes now damaged or gone.

Reading this article now about how critical the response efforts are in the first 24 hours from former Social Media Manager at World Vision Australia, Richenda Vermuelen, now Director of ntegrity!

“If you work at a not-for-profit you’re the voice of the people affected. A strong plan of action is measured in hours, not days. Donor attention follows media attention, so your window of opportunity is likely to last only one week (168 hours). Make it count.”

It’s so important we get behind these not for profits.

My friend Bishaka, I met her in Scotland in 2014, is currently in KAthmandu. She has a brother in hospital and her nephew (8 years old pictured below) is also receiving treatment for wounds. She has sent most of her family off to India for safety. She’s sending me photos of scenes and it’s hard to hold back the tears. I am being strong but I just cannot imagine the situation she is in. She’s trained in emergency situations and hopes to get out to more rural areas once they can find a way to travel their as access is the main issue. I will continue to share her stories. This morning she was messaging as 11 more aftershocks came… this is happening through the day and night.

I pray for all these people of Nepal. My memories are nothing but fondness, hope and beauty from this nation. It’s so sad to believe that they are currently living in such a state of terror.

Team World Vision in March 2015 before our #Everestbasecamptrek2015. Standing in Durbar Square, Kathmandu.

It’s so surreal to have been standing in this spot, just a month ago, in the heart of a bustling ancient city… and for now it to be reduced to rubble. The rich cultural heritage of the city will be hard to repair… but the lives that have been lost are simply irreplaceable.

A photo of Bouddahnath and friends in March… it’s now a crumbled mess.

Harley is a champ and his comedy is laugh a minute, lude, rude and witty. You’re going to walk out with stitches from laughing throughout. Join me Sydney and check out this guy!

Details about the show:

AS SEEN ON: Just For Laughs Sydney Gala – The Comedy Channel, It’s a Date – ABC1, Comedy UP Late – ABC2 and The Project – NETWORK 10.WINNER: Spleen Comic of the Year and the Comics’ Choice “The Piece of Wood” Award winner MICF 2011.

Exposing yourself is difficult; sometimes your leg gets stuck in your pants. Other times, we’re just not ready to let it all hang out.Whether literally or figuratively, most people will avoid exposing themselves if they can. Harley Breen has made a career out of it and is set for his debut at the Sydney Comedy Festival. Come see the comic that everybody is laughing at and the person UK superstar Russell Howard handpicked to support him around Australia in the flesh. There probably won’t be any nudity… probably.

UPDATE – It’s now 4:30 AM here in Gorkha, Nepal. Managed to sleep well for a few hours this morning though I slept under a tarp in an open field infront of government HQ with villagers afraid to sleep in homes. We had 2 tremors that woke me last night but no damage from them here. My focus today is on continuing to share the story from here, which is that more than 2 DAYS after the quake, there are many villages near my current location where no rescue teams have been able to land despite there being people buried under rubble with up to 70-90% of homes completely destroyed in those villages worst hit. This is because they DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT HELICOPTERS or rescue teams here yet. I can’t tell if that’s because those resources are genuinely unavailable or because they are being focused on Kathmandu and trekkers stuck around Everest etc. Whatever the case, the world needs to get those specialist resources here now where the death toll is certainly set to rise dramatically in coming days.

Driving into Gorkha

PLEASE PRAY – that the world would get this message from Gorkha and that I may be effective in helping to share. Pray for strength and wisdom as to how to best act and thank God I’ve somehow kept full 3G reception to keep doing live video interviews with world media. I am truly seeing God guide my efforts far far beyond what I could possibly imagine to achieve by myself and just trying to be a faithful witness to Jesus love amongst these devastated and scared people. God has not forgotten these people buried and trapped in the remote villages around me and nor can we.

Gorkha yesterday

AND please pray for my beautiful wife Brittany Darvas and daughter who are safe in Pokhara and starting to help neighbours there. In many ways it’s harder for Britt back there without me and looking after Zippy though we have wonderful Nepali and foreigner friends looking after them.

MSF arrives

There’s also an update from Brittany, Matt’s wife in Pokhara, Nepal.

UPDATE: It’s 10pm here and we’ve just had yet another aftershock, almost 60 hours after the earthquake! Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement, especially with Matt away! Zipporah and I are doing ok, but obviously still stressed and anxious.

Today we took some supplies up to the house of our milkman, who lives in a village on the hillside next to Pokhara, as his house and many others there are either in ruins or are cracking so they’re having to sleep outside!

Posted by Emma Lovell on behalf of Matt Darvas. International Media please contact diwa.aquino.gacosta from World Vision International on Skype. For Australian enquiries, please contact gabrielle.brophy@worldvision.com.au

Thoughts are with World Vision Australia staff member Matt Darvas today as he heads to one of the hardest hit areas by #nepalearthquake. Matt is in the heart of the epicentre near Gorkha and heading to the most remote villages in this region to offer supplies and support.

I’ve been watching news and updates all day and it’s starting to really affect me now the severity of the situation. The reality of the devastation that people are living through is inconceivable. I stood in these locations a few weeks ago… and now these places are rubble. The death told is 3200 and counting. To hear from friends today living through this turmoil is heartbreaking.

We can do something, we can donate and support non profit organisations on the ground to provide relief and supplies to those most in need:

Devastating news yesterday and further this morning as I learn that the country so close to my heart, Nepal, is in mourning. 1800 lives lost and counting as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits Kathmandu, Pokhara and other regions of Nepal. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones and the citizens of Nepal who are as we speak trying to manage the chaos.

These beautiful historic cities now in ruins

It was just one month ago that I was in Nepal trekking to Everest Base Camp with World Vision Australia and Inspired Adventures. We loved exploring the city of Kathmandu and then trekking through the serene and peaceful mountains. Sadly it also looks like 18 people have died on Mt Everest due to an avalanche – part of the Base Camp was buried. The peaceful and comforting place for so many is now reminiscent of a war zone.

My team and I are so happy. My prayers are with those currently trekking in this region

YOU CAN HELP!

World Vision Australia have set up a donations page for sending aid to the areas most affected. Organisations such as this need support in these times of need to help the people in these devastated countries.

children with sponsors from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland,

and Taiwan. WVIN operates a budget of USD 7.1 million including projects funded by DFAT, DFID and

WFP grants.

Quotes:

Sunjuli, World Vision Nepal staff member. Her son is 9 years old — “My son is very terrified. He

does not leave me and lays on my lap. Do not know what to do. I need to go inside the house —

don’t know if it’s safe — but it’s very cold here in the car.

Some photos from my time there, it’s changed dramatically and I fear for the people in the massive efforts it will take to clean up! Visiting my sponsor child in Nepal, Kamala. Seeing my dear friend Sundar. And trekking with amazing guides to Base Camp. My prayers are with you all at this time

Last night I went to see an amazing show of a performer I love, Nikki Britton in The Other 3 Percent. It was well worth the trip out on a Thursday Night and she’s got two shows left in Sydney for you to check out.

The highlights for me were her musical interludes and showing off her amazing skills in impersonations. The woman has many faces, voices and actions and I loved it all.

Travel was a topic of the show and I loved that! There was also organutans, terrible mountain tales and photos of adorable animals. SOLD! I was in stitches and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!

Humans share 97% of our DNA with Apes. A frightening statistic for the Apes I imagine.

It has long been understood that we are the most intelligent and evolved animals on earth, but a quick glance around a busy food court, car racing event or department store at Christmas time would seem to prove otherwise. Where did these primates stray from their instincts and can we become more magnanimous Neanderthals again? Join this award winning comedian as she journeys, via Borneo, to the heart of our species and asks, “what makes up The Other 3%?”.

Nikki has recently toured the country with The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase and the juggernaut sensation, 51 Shades of Maggie Muff. Following her highly acclaimed 2013 festival hit, Abdicating Adulthood, Nikki can’t wait to debut her latest and greatest comedy offering yet in Sydney.

“a breathlessly energetic force-of-nature performance that sweeps up all in her path”– Chortle

These incredibly talented performers are at it again with the third instalment of A Sunburnt History. This time it’s “NOT Galipolli.”

This was one of the most thoughtful, creative and entraining shows I saw at MICF… in both 2013 and 2014. As former clients of Lovelly Communications, I am proud as a mother duck to see them kicking butt out there in comedy land!

So, what’s it all about?

We’re back!
ASH is bringing a BRAND NEW show to this year’s Comedy Festival.
It’s Charlie and Spanky addressing the big questions, it’s sweaty, naked (literally) and it mentions the war.
But it is definitely NOT Gallipoli.

My favourite show of Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2015 is on again and I’m so happy to catch it in the last week of the comedy festival, Darkness and Light. The show is on 7.30pm at

This show is powerful with comedians speaking openly and honestly about REAL issues and matters. IT’s fun and entertaining because they are talented artists, but there stories are also moving. It’s a show of ups and downs, laughs and light, and always entertaining!

Fall down seven times, stand up eight. And tell some jokes about it!

Comedy gets real as the cream of the Festival’s funny people (and some very special guests) share some very personal postcards from the edge in a show that will make you laugh and cry, but mostly laugh!

A combination of hilarious stand-up and stunning storytelling, each night is a collection of stories about being human, including tall, true tales about love, loss, coming out, growing up, losing their minds, and the times they nearly didn’t make it.